Cinderalec (Once Upon A Fandom)
by VoidRomeo
Summary: Alexander Lightwood? That sixteen year old? Oh no, he's not part of the Morgenstern family. He couldn't possibly be. Goes to a public school, scruffy, drinks alcohol. No, surely it can't be. The Morgenstern's simply adopted him out of the goodness of their hearts, nobody could control a boy like that, even them. (Cinderella)


_Alexander Gideon Lightwood could say that the first ten years of his life were a bliss. Well, at least compared to the other six. When he was ten, his mother, Maryse, passed away from cancer, and his father, Robert, couldn't stand being alone with a little boy. He did try…at the beginning. But the little boy looked too much like his mother, was too gentle, too soft. He couldn't stand it. So he started to drink._

 _And drink…_

 _And drink._

 _In the end social services took Alexander away from him and placed him in an adoptive family two months after his thirteenth birthday, after the teachers at school reported that he came in with bruises up and down his pale arms. Again._

 _The family he got placed in was far from ideal. But anything was better than that place. At least that's what he told himself. The bruises never disappeared. He just got better at hiding them._

 _Valentine Morgenstern was a wealthy businessman, respected and rich. He owned at least three expensive cars, his suits were always impeccable and he was always polite, if cold. Nothing wrong here._

 _Yeah, right._

 _Cheater._

 _Lilith Morgenstern was the perfect lady of the house. She didn't work, but attended charity parties with her friends, and drank tea with other high status ladies. She wore emeralds and pearls and diamonds, she wore long, classy dresses, she was charming and good to people. Nothing wrong here._

 _Yeah, right._

 _Cruel._

 _Sebastian Morgenstern, the seventeen year old son of Lilith and Valentine. Dark eyes, light hair, captivating smile, the girls swooned over him, he helped old ladies cross the road, gave up his seat on the bus if he wasn't driving his shiny car. Perfect grades, perfect boy. Nothing wrong here._

 _Yeah, right._

 _Sadist._

 _Magnus Morgenstern, eighteen years old, the oldest son of the Morgenstern's. Liked to party, art student at a fancy university, charming, polite, loved by everyone. A bit rough around the edges, sometimes late, girls swooned over him as well. Nothing wrong here._

 _Nope._

 _Perfect._

 _Alexander Lightwood? That sixteen year old? Oh no, he's not part of the Morgenstern family. He couldn't possibly be. Goes to a public school, scruffy, drinks alcohol. No, surely it can't be. The Morgenstern's simply adopted him out of the goodness of their hearts, nobody could control a boy like that, even them. He's the black sheep of the family, no good's gonna come out of him._

 _Yeah Right._

 _Misunderstood._

The beeping filled the small attic room, bouncing off walls and assaulting Alec's head. The sixteen year old groaned and buried his head in the pillow. He shouldn't have been out drinking last night, he really shouldn't have. In all honestly Isabelle, his best friend, did try to stop him. Didn't work, obviously. Alec gave himself a minute to lie in bed, before slowly sitting up. He squinted at his bedside clock, his vision blurry, he face read 6:32 in the morning, his usual waking up time. School started at 9, but he had to do his morning chores before that. And last night's chores. He groaned again and buried his face in his hands. Partying on a Thursday was definitely a very bad idea.

With a sigh Alec got up and winced as his bare feet touched the cold wooden floorboards. There was frost on the window and the radiator was off, even though he could've sworn he left it on last night. Fucking Sebastian, it was probably one of his 'jokes.'

Ignoring the pounding in his head, and the freezing temperature of the room, Alec padded into the small bathroom attached to his tiny room. There was barely any room inside for a toilet and a shower cabin, but it would do. Alec quickly stripped off his pyjamas and avoided looking in the mirror. He stepped into the cabin and gritted his teeth at the even cooler temperature of the plastic under his feet. He cautiously stepped to the side and turned the water on, careful that the stream didn't hit him directly. He proceeded to stick one hand under the water, and immediately withdrew it with a gasp. The water was more freezing than the temperature outside. Once again, fucking Sebastian. Alec could imagine the other boy smirking to himself, comfortable and warm in his bed, while his step brother froze his butt off in the shower after he turned the warm water off.

After two minutes Alec decided the water wouldn't warm and speed washed instead. With his teeth clattering he quickly scrubbed himself down and washed his hair. He was out in three minutes, which beat his record, and accidently caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His midnight black hair was dripping with water, his lifeless blue eyes looked, well lifeless, his skin paler than usual, the shadows under his eyes…he winced when he saw the purple and yellow bruises on his ribs and arms. Being Sebastian's punching bag was definitely one of his least favourite sports. He hurriedly pulled on an old t-shirt and his skinny ripped jeans, tugging a black and red flannel over it. He packed his bag for school, at the same time drying his hair with a towel. He just wanted to get to the kitchen and make breakfast for his family, it would be warm there and he could sneakily eat some bacon.

When he decided his hair was moderately dried, he walked out on the corridor. The house the Morgenstern's lived in was massive, it was a villa on the nice side of Idris, with a swimming pool, a spa and a ball room. There were framed pictures of the family hanging on the walls, in between the high, arched windows. He could see Sebastian and Magnus together in one of them, around the age of eight. Sebastian, all angular beauty and cold, black eyes, and Magnus with his warm smile and messy hair. Lilith and Valentine, some ancestors he didn't know the names of. Living with the Morgensterns wasn't really that bad. Sure Sebastian was a cruel sadist, he punched and tormented Alec whenever he could, turned the water off and stole his clothes and Lilith did look at him like he was something stuck to her shoe, but overall Valentine and Lilith ignored him. If it wasn't for Sebastian, life could be bearable. Maybe even good.

And then there was Magnus.

He definitely was the highlight of the family. He was the only person who treated Alec like an actual human being, and he seemed to hate his family almost as much as Alec did. When the family was not due for a party or a conference, Magnus was out of the house faster than lightning. But the two didn't talk much, not really.

It was still dark in the house, it was early December, which meant longer nights, shorter days. Great, all Alec needed was shorter days to do all his chores. He was pretty sure he was already in plenty of shit for sneaking out yesterday. He rubbed a pale hand down his face as he relied on his instincts to lead him into the kitchen. Surprisingly the light was on in the room, so Alec slowed his step. He peeked round the corner to see who it was. He really wasn't up for a beating so early in the morning.

He sighed with relief when he realised it was his favourite member of the family.

"Hey," he muttered, leaning down to pick up a frying pan. Magnus didn't answer, just continued leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. Alec glanced up at him and frowned, his head pounding,

"What?" he asked when Magnus continued to stare at him. His expression was annoyed and…worried?

"You came home late last night."

Alec rolled his eyes, putting the pan on the stove and shuffling over to the fridge to get eggs and bacon, a lecture, great.

"Yeah so?" he asked, hoping to sound nonchalant and ignoring the way Magnus' T-shirt clung to his muscles. The taller boy stood up straight and sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair,

"I'm just worried Alec," he said coming closer to the other boy, "You're out all the time."

"Yeah so are you," Alec muttered, breaking an egg onto the pan, ignoring his shaking hands. Magnus didn't answer, instead he leaned forward and grabbed another egg, breaking it alongside Alec's.

"I'll make toast," he said resignedly after a minute. They didn't say much as they prepared breakfast, instead lapsing into a comfortable silence. It was little things like Magnus helping him make breakfast that made him appreciate this family. His father never made any breakfast with him. He usually stumbled in well past noon, piss drunk. Alec shook his head, clearing it from the thoughts of his father and instead replaced them thought of Magnus. Lately he's been feeling weird around the other guy, his heart was all fluttery and weird and he blushed whenever Magnus smiled. Everyone knew he was gay, but he never had a boyfriend, not when everyone knew he was different from the Morgensterns. Money, power, fame. That didn't matter to him. He only wanted to be loved, seriously, that's all he wanted. If someone just…

"Alec! You're burning the food!" Magnus yelled pushing Alec out of the way. Sure enough, Alec was too absorbed in his thoughts to pay attention to the breakfast. Thankfully Magnus quickly turned off the flame before any damage could be made. He turned to Alec with a disapproving look .

"Sorry," Alec mumbled, flushing. Magnus didn't scold him, just sighed.

"You're really out of it lately," he stated. Alec just shrugged, and hugged himself. Unfortunately that caused his sleeve to ride up, exposing a nasty bruise above his wrist. Something flashed in Magnus' eyes and he was by the younger boy in seconds, rolling the sleeve of the flannel up to his elbow, and examining the bruise. He gripped Alec's pale arm tightly, but the other boy snatched it back, and quickly rolled his sleeve down. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Magnus' eyes filled with anger.

"I'll kill that bastard," he stated angrily, making his way to the door. Red alarms flared in Alec's brain. If Magnus beat up Sebastian then he would get the blame, because…well…he's Alec. Before he knew what he was doing he was reaching for Magnus, and tugged on his sleeve.

"It's okay, seriously…you don't, um, have to…I, um…just…" he stuttered. Magnus' glared at him for a split second and then his face softened and he moved back into the kitchen,

"I'll get him back later," he said with a small smile. He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of some kind of medicine, "roll your sleeves up," he commanded. Alec blinked at me, and blushed again,

"Um, no – I, um…it's fine…" he looked down at the floor, suddenly interested in his batman socks.

"Alexander."

Alec flinched visibly,

"D-don't call me that," he whispered. The atmosphere in the room thickened so much Alec was sure he could slice it with a knife. Only his mom used to call him Alexander, and she was gone, so was that name.

"Sorry," Magnus said softly, placing the medicine next to Alec. He hesitantly reached for the boys sleeves, where they were pulled over his hands. When Alec didn't pull back so he slowly rolled them up to his elbows, but could only see one or two bruises, "You might wanna take that off," Magnus said, awkwardly coughing into his hand. Alec's entire face was beet red, this was the closest him and Magnus were _ever_. Actually this was the closest he's been to anyone except his biological parents and Izzy. No one was exactly up to befriend the weird brother of the Morgensterns. Except Isabelle, she was just a rebel like that.

Trying desperately to keep his heart in his chest, Alec shrugged off his flannel, leaving him in a thin, grey cotton t-shirt. Without a word Magnus opened the medicine and poured some onto his hand. He glared at the purple bruises decorating Alec's arms and shoulders. Alec wanted to desperately reach for his shirt, but he was determined to remain unmoved, which was hard, especially when Magnus' warm, strong hands spread the salve onto the bruises. Alec winced and bit his lip as he felt the cool liquid touch his heated skin. He let the older boy treat his bruises without a word. Magnus was gentle, careful, almost caring. _No don't think that Alec, he doesn't care about you, he's just a good person_ … When he was done, Magnus wiped his hands on his jeans and passed him his flannel. Alec hurriedly pulled it on.

"Thanks."

"That should heal them quicker," Magnus said, his voice steady. He searched Alec's face for a second before grinning and stepping back, "here, let me get that breakfast ready." He gently moved Alec aside and went back to heating the eggs and bacon. Alec opened and closed his mouth a few times,

"Um… that's my job…" He said. Magnus just rolled his eyes and passed him a tea cup,

"No its not. Anyway, you've got a hangover and a little cooking won't hurt me. Now drink the tea, there's some aspirin in the cupboard," Magnus stated matter of factly, Bustling around the kitchen. Alec hid his blush behind the rim of the cup.

"He's totally into you." Isabelle stated simply, when three hours later Alec recalled the morning to her.

"No he's not, he's just really nice," Alec muttered, hiding the bottom half of his face in the frayed blue scarf wrapped around his neck. Isabelle rolled her dark eyes, they were waiting for the bell, sitting on a bench by one of the old trees. Everyone else was inside because of the cold, but Alec liked to be as far away from people as possible, so he chose the weather over dirty looks, even if the wind nipped at his exposed skin. Isabelle looked flawless as usual, her hat matching her scarf. Alec looked like a homeless person, as usual. He just wore his brothers' old clothes, even though the Morgensterns had enough money to get him new ones, they just chose not to. He secretly didn't mind because he got a chance to wear Magnus' stuff. It was pathetic, really, his little crush on his step brother, but Alec couldn't help him.

"Honey, please, you're so blind it hurts," she stated, examining her nails as Alec sighed.

"Izzy, seriously, he's not… _into me_ , or whatever," Alec flushed, "why would he be? I mean he's hot and popular and nice, and he gets good grades and has an awesome sense of style. Why the hell would he ever look at me twice?"

Izzy stared at him. She blinked, and sighed, "Oh my gosh, Alec, my blue eyed friend, you are so in love with this dude. And there's plenty of reasons for him to look at you! I mean, you're cute and charming and your blush is adorable, you make the best sandwiches ever and you listen to great music!"

"Iz, you're an amazing best friend, but you're really dumb if you think those things," he said sadly, gathering his bags.

"It's true though!" the girl protested, but the bell went and Alec was already walking towards the building, she shouted after him, "It's totally like Cinderella!"

Alec turned on his heel and yelled back,

"Where's my prince Charming then!"

School was a mess as usual. Apart from the usual dirty looks he got from his classmates his books got knocked down by Meliorn, one of the popular guys. Alec didn't say anything as he knelt down to pick them up, cheeks burning in shame, but Izzy threatened to punch the boy. She was already excluded once this year because of fighting. Alec admired her, she was so brave, protecting him when he couldn't do so himself. He slept through maths, his hangover catching up with him, and didn't really write anything down. He and Izzy both bunked PE and decided to eat cupcakes under the bleachers instead. Raphael Santiago, one of the nicer boys in the school, let Alec copy his chem notes, so that was a highlight. Except for that nothing happened. At the end of the day Izzy and Alec parted ways, and the boy went onto the packed bus.

He was uncomfortably squeezed in between an old man, and a girl from a year below him. He was about to wedge his arm in between him and the girls back to put his earphones in, when he heard something that got his attention. Not too far from him were two collage girls, and they were not so subtly gossiping.

"Did you hear?" One of them asked the other, "About Jace Wayland?"

"Oh my gosh yes!" the other one gushed excitedly, Alec stared at the ground, trying to make it look like he wasn't eavesdropping. He knew Jace Wayland was the son of a couple, Stefan and Celine, in the elite. He caught glimpses of him during some parties of the Morgensterns when he was giving out drinks and little party sandwiches, he was good looking, but he and Sebastian hated each other, they always competed for the same girls and the place of the hottest boy in school. Sebastian and Jace were in the same year, one above Alec, and he rarely saw them at school.

"Apparently he's on the guest episode of, ' _Arranged_!'

"No way! That's amazing! Wait does that mean we can get a chance to meet him?"

"Yeah, this year…"

Alec didn't hear anything else because the two girls stepped off the bus. He didn't know what Arranged was, but he made a mental note to ask Izzy about it tomorrow. He probably should've paid more attention to this piece of gossip, but frankly he didn't care. Whatever the rich idiots were planning, it didn't concern him. He drowned his thoughts in Fall Out Boy music, blaring from his earphones and bleeding into his already tired brain, leaving nothing but an ache in it.

When he got home there was a dark cloud hanging over his head. All he could think about was sleeping off his hangover in bed, but he knew he had a bunch of chores to do. Alec seriously felt like whacking his head against the wall. Repeatedly. He walked into the empty kitchen and checked the note on the fridge.

 _Lightwood,_

 _Here are your chores for today and yesterday. We are very disappointed that you have left the house without notifying either of us, and you will be punished for your disobedience. Here is the list of things to do before 10 pm tonight:_

 _Wash the dishes_

 _Prepare diner_

 _Vacuum the house (attic included)_

 _Clean out the swimming pool_

 _Tidy Sebastian's and Magnus' bedrooms_

 _Wash the floor in the ballroom_

 _Clean the windows on the second floor and the parlour_

The list went on and on. Alec stuffed a fist into his mouth and screamed, he really wasn't up for this. He hated how the Morgensterns treated him, like he wasn't worth a damn. He ripped the post it note off the fridge and stuffed it in his pocket, and made his way upstairs. He was about to turn a corner when he heard the yelling,

"What do you mean you're not participating?" Lilith shrieked, Alec froze, flattening himself against the wall, listening intently.

"Means I'm not going," Sebastian answered back, his voice calm, cold, calculating.

"For once I agree with him," Magnus butted in, his voice bored. Alec ignored the surge of warmth it sent through his heart.

"No. No," the boy could hear his step mother pacing along the corridor, "I refuse to believe that the two of you could be so stupid. Jace Wayland is looking for a husband or a wife, and you two _idiots_ , want to turn him down?"

Alec has never heard Lilith speak like that to her sons, that's how he knew this was important. He tried to lean forward to catch some more, but being as clumsy as he was, he tripped over his own feet and ended up sprawled on the floor. There was a beat of silence, then,

"LIGHTWOOD HOW DARE YOU EAVESDROP YOU INSULENT BOY!" Lilith screeched. Alec flinched, quickly getting to his feet. His step mother and Sebastian were both glaring at him, Magnus looked impassive. The blonde brother took a step towards him and Alec backed away from the menacing boy.

"I-um, I'm s-sorry, I…" he stuttered, moving backwards. Sebastian's arm shot out and grabbed his shirt. The boy slammed Alec into the closest wall, causing the wind to be knocked out of the dark haired boy. He lifted him up, off the floor,

"You little piece of shit, how fucking dare you listen in on private conversations. You pathetic idiot, I will give you the fucking beating of your life, I swear to God-" Sebastian gritted through his teeth, but he didn't get to finish before Magnus knocked him aside, causing Sebastian to knock against the banister of the stairs.

"Don't. Touch. Him."

Magnus towered over Sebastian, grabbing his shirt in a parody of what the blonde boy did to Alec seconds earlier. Sebastian's eyes flashed with fear, before his mask was back on.

"Let me go, Magnus," he hissed. Alec slid down the wall, his heart hammering in his chest, threatening to escape. Lilith looked between her two sons, her face red with rage.

"LET HIM GO MAGNUS!" she yelled, but didn't make a move to separate her sons. Magnus ignored her, fist tightening in Sebastian's expensive shirt. His younger brother looked like a rag doll in his grip.

"Let him go, Magnus," Alec said softly, his legs shaking as he stood up. For a second nothing happened and then Magnus loosened his fist and Sebastian dropped to the floor in a heap. He glared at his brother, and Lilith massaged her temples.

"We will return to this topic later," she said as if nothing happened, "Alec, bring me a green tea and aspirin at once," she ordered. Magnus hands twitched at his sides,

"No he won't bring you tea, _mother_ ," he spat the last word, grabbing Alec's wrist gently, but firmly. He proceeded to pull the stunned boy along the corridor.

"What do you mean?! Where are you taking him?! Magnus answer me at once!" Lilith yelled after them. Magnus rolled his eyes,

"We're going out."

"Where?!" His mother asked, exasperated.

" _Out_ ," Magnus stated, pulling Alec into his room.

"I'm sorry about that," Magnus said opening his wardrobe and rummaging through it. Alec awkwardly plopped down on his bed.

"It's okay," he muttered, gripping Magnus' purple covers in his hands tightly, "I-um, thanks for defending me…"

"It was about time someone put that idiot in his place," Magnus answered with a charming, warm smile in place as he emerged from the wardrobe, he was carrying an armful of clothes in his arms. He spread them on the bed, and began sorting through them.

"So, um, what did you guys argue over?" he asked, to break the silence. Magnus sighed,

"You heard about Arranged, right?" Magnus asked, his voice lifeless,

"Not really," Alec admitted, shrugging.

"Basically it's a TV show where rich bastards choose twenty people to go live with them in a mansion, and then they eliminate the ones they don't like, until there's one left, and they get married to them," Alec cringed and Magnus grinned, "I know _sooo_ romantic. Anyway, Jace Wayland, you know who that is?" Alec nodded quickly, "Yeah well, he's on the special episode. So he's organising a ball where everyone's invited and in one night he chooses his fiancé." Alec gaped at him,

"In _one night_?!" he stammered, Magnus nodded solemnly, "Let me guess, your mom wants you to go?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Magnus said tightly, indicating that the conversation was finished. He suddenly brightened up and threw a couple pieces of clothing at Alec, "change into that."

Alec blinked at him, clutching the clothes. Magnus grinned at him mischievously,

"I wasn't lying we're really going out! Now hurry up and change."

"I'm not really a party type," Alec stated, playing with the hem of his shirt, correction, Magnus' shirt. They were comfortably seated in Magnus' car, soft dubstep was playing from the speakers and Magnus was drumming a beat to it on the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change to green.

"Stop complaining. I bet you've never been to one before," he said simply, smiling at Alec. The black hair boy blushed because, admittedly, he hadn't. Still, he felt ridiculous and uncomfortable in the blue t-shirt, jeans that weren't ripped, a leather jacket and boots. They were all Magnus' clothes so he had to make a few adjustments to them, to make them fit. The older boy looked perfectly, well, perfect, in his bright purple button down shirt and loose tie. Still, Alec was happy to embrace any reason to get out of the mansion, which included going to a party with Magnus Bane. He cringed at himself, parties meant dancing, and Alec was definitely not the most graceful human being. That would be Magnus.

They pulled up to a large house, similar to the Morgensterns, which was strangely quiet. Maybe the party hasn't started yet? Magnus hopped out of the car, and Alec tumbled out after him,

"C'mon, I want you to meet someone," Magnus said, waving Alec over and knocking on the white painted doors. Alec shyly followed him, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The door swung open and a girl stepped forward, smiling welcomingly at them.

"Magnus darling!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the said boy. Alec only had time to note her chin length white hair, before he was being pulled into a hug, the girl squeezing him happily like they were long lost friends, "You must be Alec! Magnus told me so much about you!"

" _Catarina_!" Magnus hissed as Alec blushed, fidgeting.

"Sorry, sorry," she winked, "I'm Catarina Loss, Magnus' best friend!"

"Oh hell no! _I'm_ Magnus' best friend, swerve Cat!" a boy yelled, pushing past Catarina to throw his arm around Magnus. He had dark eyes and messy hair, which was also white,

"This is Ragnor," Magnus said rolling his eyes at his friend, "guys, this is Alec."

" _Oh, we know_ ," the two said at the same time, giving Magnus twin pointed looks. Magnus glared at them and opened his mouth to say something, but Catarina already had her arm around Alec and was leading him inside,

"Let's leave those two idiots to themselves, I need some help with the snack, care to help?"

"I-um, sure…" Alec said hesitantly, following the girl into the kitchen as Ragnor and Magnus argued outside.

Skip forward two and a half hours later, and here we are. The huge house is brewing with people, some in t-shirts in jeans, others in dresses and suits, and yet others in onesies or neon clothes. Alec didn't expect so many people to show up, but he guessed that Catarina was obviously popular.

He was actually enjoying himself, he drank a beer, and sat in the corner, content with his apple juice. He didn't want to get drunk…again. Everywhere around him people were pissed, couples making out, people stumbling round, half naked, others dancing like there's no tomorrow. A couple of people were passed out in corners, and Alec lost track of Catarina and Ragnor and Magnus a long time ago. Sometimes he saw a flicker of white hair, but he didn't want to bother the hosts with his social skills. Or rather, the lack of them.

So yeah, he was sitting in a corner, content with his apple juice, when a girl came towards him, stumbling slightly. She was kind of drunk, but not totally and he plopped down next to Alec.

"Hey," she yelled over the music, smiling brightly at Alec, her green eyes sparkling.

"Hi," Alec answered, scanning the crowd for anyone who he knew.

"I came to talk to you because you seemed kinda lonely," the girl said, flipping her curly hair over her shoulder, "I'm Clary. Clary Fray."

"Alec."

"Ohhh," Clary smiled, "You're _that_ Alec."

"What _Alec_?" Alec snapped. Clary's smile turned mischievous,

"Magnus' Alec."

Alec choked on air, his eyes going wide, but before he knew what was going on, Clary was gone, the place next to him replaced by a different girl. She was dressed in a neon pink dress and was smiling at him sweetly,

"Hey, I'm Maureen, wanna dance?" she asked, already tugging on his hand.

"I, um, c-can't dance," Alec stuttered, but he was already in the cluster of people. Bodies pressed around him from all sides and his nose was assaulted by the smell of alcohol and sweat. He tried to make himself smaller, but anywhere he turned, there were people. Maureen was wildly dancing to the beat, her attention on someone else. Alec stood awkwardly in the moving mass of bodies for about a minute, before ducking under someone's arm, determined to find an exit.

That, however, was not meant to be, because someone flailed their arm suddenly and sent Alec sprawling into a wall. His body ached with old and new bruises and Alec winced. He really just wanted to be out in the fresh air, but he didn't want to risk getting trampled to death. Thankfully his salvation came, in the form of his step brother.

"Magnus!" Alec called, before he could stop himself. Magnus looked up, his eyes focusing on Alec, he smiled and pushed through the crowd, making it to Alec.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked casually, a cheshire grin on his face. Alec blushed, now that Magnus was here, he didn't know what to say to him. _Can we go home please?_ Sounded great in theory, but he didn't want to ruin the other boys evening, not when he tried so hard to get him out of the house. Suddenly the music was turned down and Ragnor's voice boomed over the chatter of the people,

"Now a slow jam for all my couples out there!" he called and the crowd erupted into cheers. The music was turned up again, and this time something soft and slow was playing. The lights dimmed even more and some candles were lit, giving off a warm glow. Ragnor grabbed Catarina's hand and dragged her into the middle of the room, they began to sway, slightly drunkenly, to the music. Soon more and more couples joined them, and a few single people, dancing with friends or in groups.

"Come dance with me," Magnus said suddenly. The blue eyed boys heart skipped a beat and he frantically shook his head, but before he could utter a word Magnus was already pulling him into the crowd. Alec was thankful for the lighting choice because he was sure Magnus would've seen his blush otherwise. His thought track was cut short when Magnus' arm unexpectedly went around his waist, his free hand grabbing Alec's and linking their fingers together. Alec made a surprised sound and quickly looked down, avoiding Magnus' eyes. Magnus gently pulled him closer and, not knowing what to do with himself, Alec's hand went up to Magnus' shoulder, clutching onto his shirt. Magnus chuckled and Alec blushed even more, burying his face where his hand was. They began turning in soft circles and Alec's eyes fluttered shut as Magnus' hand moved to the small of his back. The smaller boy had no idea how much time had passed since he found himself in Magnus' arms but he was sure that they were the best – minutes? Hours? – of his life. Magnus' arms felt strong around him and he felt safe, like Sebastian and Lilith and Valentine, and their anger and hatred couldn't get him there. Without realising it he pressed closer to the taller boy, and peeked over his shoulder. Ragnor was twirling Catarina close by, and the girl grinned and winked at him.

When the song did eventually end, Alec pulled away hurriedly, his cheeks flaming. The beat came back on and more bodies packed themselves onto the dance floor.

"Let's go home," Magnus said, leaning in whispering into Alec's ear so the boy could hear him. Alec ignored the shiver that went through him and nodded, grabbing onto Magnus' hand instinctively, to not get lost in the crowd. He panicked and tried to pull his hand away, but Magnus just smiled reassuringly and laced their fingers together again. The two began to weave their way through the bodies, avoiding people as much as they could. Magnus found Catarina and Ragnor in the corner, taking shots, and he let them know that they were leaving. Catarina kissed both of them on the cheek and Ragnor waved at them, and just as they were about to walk through the front door Catarina grabbed Magnus and whispered something into his ear.

Seconds later they were outside. The cold air hit Alec's flushed face, but it did nothing to calm the fast beating of his heart. Magnus let go of his hand to quickly and Alec desperately wanted it back, but he didn't say anything. The two of them piled into the car and Magnus turned on the radio, humming along to whatever was playing. Wheels turned in the younger boys head, and he thought of something to say. In the end Alec couldn't muster the courage to open his mouth, so he dosed off.

The next morning Alec woke up with no recollection of how he got to bed, damn he couldn't even remember getting out of the car. He surveyed his room lazily and noticed that his jeans were neatly folded on the dresser. A flush crawled up his face, because the only explanation was that Magnus had taken them off, Alec hadn't been drunk enough to do it and not remember. Right? _Right_? The boy buried his face in the pillow, thankful that at least his t-shirt was still on.

His eyes wandered to his bedside clock, and his heart skipped a beat. _10:14._ Alec shot up and was out of his bed in seconds. Sure it was a Saturday, but to him it didn't mean anything – he was meant to wake up at 8, like every weekend, but for some reason his alarm didn't go off. He didn't shower, just tugged on some clean clothes, brushed his teeth and sprinted down the stairs.

He burst into the living room like a cannonball, to see the rest of his 'family' sitting at the table, drinking tea and eating pastries from the bakers down the street. All heads snapped up as soon as he entered.

"Sorry I'm late!" Alec apologised hurriedly. To his surprise Lilith put her coffee down and smiled at him,

"Oh don't worry, darling," she said, with a little wave, "everyone deserves to sleep in sometimes! Why don't you sit down with us, hmm?"

Alec blinked at her. What the hell was going on? Lilith was never, ever nice. And she certainly never invited him to sit at the table with them. Still, she asked him to, so he shuffled over and sat at the edge of the closest chair. Lilith patted his knee but Sebastian only glared. At least he was normal.

"So, honey, did you hear about the TV show 'Arranged?'" Lilith asked him, with her fake smile. Alec nodded slowly, "Ah!" his step mother exclaimed, delighted, "lovely. Well you see Sebastian and Magnus here," she gestured at her two sons. Sebastian was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest and Magnus was drinking coffee, looking bored, "have agreed to participate in the special episode!"

Alec took a second to understand what he just heard. Sebastian and _Magnus,_ are going to go to some ball to try and win the host over so they can get _married_? _His_ Magnus?! Alec opened and closed his mouth, trying to process this information. He met Magnus' gaze, but the other boy's eyes were unreadable. After a moment of silence Alec cleared his throat,

"I, um, t-that's great," he mumbled, hands clutched in his lap. Sebastian smirked,

"Of course you can't go," he stated.

"I don't want to," Alec replied, he felt sick. _See? See!?_ _This is what happens when you give yourself hope! Izzy got to your head, idiot, you went to one bloody party and what? You thought Magnus Morgenstern would look at you twice after that?!_ he yelled at himself in his head.

"Well," Sebastian rolled his eyes, "you're not going."

"I don't fucking want to, okay?!" Alec snapped, before he could stop himself. Everyone stared at him, and a silence settled over the table. Even Valentine put his paper down to pay attention. Alec blushed with embarrassment and was about to apologise but Lilith cut in,

"Sebastian!" she looked at her son, disapprovingly, "we heard you the first time. Don't pay any attention to him, Alec," she turned to her step son, "anyway, I am very sorry about the short notice but I need you to go out very soon and purchase some suits and shoes for the boys."

"Okay," Alec said numbly, "Okay," he repeated. Lilith clapped her hands, a smile blooming on her face,

"Thankyou, darling! Now here, come with me, I'll show you exactly what you should look for. Hodge will drive you there, while I'll take the boys to the barbers. The ball is tonight so please be quick…"

Lilith droned on as she led Alec into her office to show him pictures of expensive suits. And the only thing that filled Alec's head was that he lost his last chance.

An hour later Alec clambered out of the limousine.

"That shop there," the driver, old Hodge, pointed to a building, "you should find all you need."

"Thanks," Alec muttered, slamming the door closed. The limo pulled away, and Hodge went to look for somewhere to park. The boy scanned the area, looking for his best friend, who he had texted to meet him.

"Alec!" Isabelle waved at him from a bench, "over here!" she got up and jogged up to him, pulling him into a hug, "Tell me everything that happened!"

"So wait, you guys _slow danced_?" Izzy hissed as the two ducked through the racks of suits. Alec nodded, ignoring the dirty looks the other customers were giving them. There was a member of staff following them closely behind. Alec sighed, he didn't have a mind to look at these suits now.

"But," Alec said as Izzy eyed a shirt with distaste, "he's going on arranged."

"Yeah, so?" his friend didn't seem to get what the problem was, "I'm going for the food! A lot of people are going just for the sake of it, not for Jace himself."

"I don't know…" Alec muttered, he didn't want to give himself false hope, _again_. He caught sight of a bright purple shirt and felt a pang in his chest, it was probably something Magnus would like to wear, "let's get that one," Alec pointed to it. Izzy gave him a look but picked it up without a word.

"THE SHIRT IS BLOODY PURPLE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" Lilith screeched when Alec presented her with the suits, her good mood long gone. Alec shrugged,

"I thought Magnus would like it," he stated emotionlessly, holding up the two suits in his hands. Sebastian's one was a normal black and white one.

"I would like what?" Magnus asked, stepping into Lilith's office. His eyes sparkled when he caught sight of the suits, "dibs!" he called, grabbing the one with the purple shirt. Alec tried to hide his smile, while Lilith glared at her oldest son,

"You think this is funny don't you?!" her attention was back on Alec. The little bubble of happiness that appeared inside him when he saw the smile on Magnus' face disappeared, replaced once again by the void. The boy shrugged.

"You little piece of shit!" Lilith yelled, lifting her hand. Before anyone could react she brought it down, striking the boy. Alec felt pain burst in his cheek, which was now bright red. Tears gathered in his eyes, and he lowered his head, letting his hair hide his face, "you can't even do one thing properly! Get out of my sight, you disgrace!"

"Yes, mother," Alec whispered lifelessly, stepping around her and Magnus, ignoring the other boys outstretched hand.

"I am not your mother," Lilith hissed after him. It hurt more than the slap, even though Alec knew it was true.

He only let the tears fall half an hour later, after Izzy climbed in through the window and put her arms around him, calling Lilith a 'bitter old bitch.'

"What do you mean you're going?" Alec asked numbly, playing with the hem of his hoodie. Izzy shuffled from one foot to the other, not meeting his eyes.

"I-um, well…I got an invitation," Izzy choked out, "and, I thought, that I should, go?"

Alec stared at her blankly for a second before forcing a tiny smile on his face,

"That's great Iz," he said, voice hoarse from sobbing earlier, "you should totally go."

"But I feel bad for leaving you here all by yourself," she said guiltily, sitting down next to her best friend. Alec rolled his eyes,

"C'mon this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You should go, seriously. I'm probably just gonna finish my chores and go to sleep, and you know how bad at cleaning you are," he joked. Izzy cracked a smile,

"Well, okay then. I'm gonna be on my way," she gave Alec a bone shattering hug, "you sure you'll be alright?"

"I'm sure, don't worry," Alec said with a small chuckle, herding Izzy to the window, "now go before I change my mind and chain you to a wall."

Izzy pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and then gracefully slid out of the window. She grabbed a ledge and jumped to the windowsill below her. In no time she was running through the driveway, waving and blowing kisses at Alec, until he couldn't see her anymore in the dark.

"LIGHTWOOD!" Lilith's voice drifted from downstairs. Alec winced, checking his reflection in the mirror to see if you could see that he'd been crying, before nearly tripping down the stairs. He was greeted by all four Morgensterns standing by the door. Lilith wore a long, sparkling dress with a slit that showed her pale leg, and heels that could rival with Izzy's. Valentine and Sebastian wore the same black and white suits, their light blonde hair styled perfectly. Magnus was leaning against the wall, the purple shirt clinging to his chest, his hair spiked up. Alec felt himself flush and quickly looked away,

"Y-yes?" he asked. Lilith glared at him, letting Hodge pull her coat on,

"We are leaving now. You will complete the chores from the past three days before we return, is that clear?"

"Yes," Alec nodded, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Magnus. The other boy looked alert, trying to get Alec's attention, "Is that everything?"

"Don't even think about coming to the ball," Sebastian hissed before Lilith could answer. Alec sighed inwardly,

"I won't," he said. Lilith nodded contently, and they all sauntered out as Hodge opened the door.

"Alec…" Magnus turned towards him, and the blue eyed boys heart skipped a beat,

"Have fun," he said with a tight smile, before sprinting up the stairs. He just wanted to get this over and done with and go to sleep.

When he was sure he heard the limo drive away he creeped back downstairs in the dark. When he got to the kitchen he flipped the switch on and ripped the paper of the fridge. There were a few points added underneath the ones he read last night. Alec scrolled through it and decided that cleaning the boys' rooms would be a good thing to start with. He turned around, ready to start his chores, when he nearly ran face first into a woman.

"Excuse you," she sneered. Alec stumbled back, wondering where the hell this bitch came from. She had perfectly curled blonde hair and was wearing a blood red dress that hugged her curves. She crossed her arms over her busty chest and gave Alec a disapproving look. The boy winced when he realised that she was taller than him,

"Give the boy a break, Cam," a man around Magnus' age stepped forward. Alec gaped. His hair was a few shades darker than the woman's, and he was wearing a rumbled looking, old suit. He wore a monocle in one sparkling green eye.

"W-who are you?" Alec sputtered, backing up against the fridge.

"Woolsey Scott," the man said with a charming smile, "this is Camille Belcourt. We are old friends of Magnus."

"H-how did you g-get in?" Alec stuttered, looking around for a weapon. If the two decided to hurt him, there was no way he'd be able to stop them. Woolsey rolled his eyes, casually leaning against a counter, he had a bundle under his arm,

"Calm down, biscuit, we're not going to eat you," he said calmly, "well she might, but only if you piss her off," he gestured to Camille.

"Silence, Woolsey, you know why we came here," the woman said coldly. She nodded at the packed and the man reluctantly passed it to her. She carelessly tossed it to Alec and he clumsily caught it, and his first thought was that it was a bomb. Then he realised it was too soft for that.

"What is it?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Open it," Camille ordered. Alec flinched but quickly ripped the brown paper. A white shirt, dark trousers and a black blazer tumbled out, and ended up in a heap on the floor. Alec stared at the pile and then at the two newcomers, "um…what is it?" he asked. Camille and Woolsey sighed at the same time.

"Dimwit," Woolsey said, glaring at the ceiling.

"It's your costume," Camille deadpanned. Alec gave her a quizzical look, "To the ball."

"Oh by the angel, listen kid," Woolsey stood in front of Alec all of a sudden, "you will put this goddamned suit on, and you will go to the goddamned party for 'Arranged' hosted by the goddamn Jace Wayland. No questions asked, no returns or exchanges, you're going and that's that."

"Precisely," Camille added with a smile. Alec stared at them,

"Why are you doing this?" he blurted. Woolsey's eyes sparkled,

"Let's just say we have a dept to pay to Magnus. Now off you go change, and if you don't go to this party and if you don't Camille here will kick your butt. The car's outside," Woolsey reached for Camille's hand,

"One rule only, you have to get home midnight latest. Ciao!" Camille winked, and when Alec blinked they were gone like they've never been there in the first place, the only thing they left behind were the clothes at Alec's feet.

And a thought appeared in his brain.

What if he went to Arranged.

And won over Jace.

And threw that in Magnus' face, to show him that he didn't mean anything to him.

And he wouldn't have to live with the Morgensterns.

And he'd be free.

A huge smile blossomed on Alec's face and he was sure that Woolsey and Camille were his guardian angels. He burst into the bathroom and pulled on the clothes as quickly as he could. He didn't know how but the suit fit him perfectly, somehow making him look…appealing? He ran a hand through his hair and it fell perfectly, the way it never did. Alec blinked, surely this was his lucky day, God's way of apologising for the years of misery he gave him. His spirit dropped a bit when he realised there were no shoes to match his outfit. Resignedly he reached for his old, battered black converse and pulled them on.

Alec stumbled outside, letting the door slam closed behind him, and his breath hitched. Parked in his driveway was a sleek black car with no markings on it to indicated what type it could be. It seemed to sparkled with energy and the windows were tinted. Alec took a hesitant step forward and the door in the back sprung open, inviting him in. The boy raised his chin and determinedly walked up to the car. He slipped inside, and looked around in awe. The seats were black, incredibly comfortable, leather, and there was a champagne glass and a letter on the empty seat next to him. Alec carefully reached for the champagne and took a small sip as he picked up the letter. A smile exploded on his face, it was an invitation to the ball.

"Where to?" a bored voice called from the front. Alec's head snapped up and he saw a girl peeked at him. She has ashy blonde, curly hair, similar to Camille's but had a different face, with more childish features and stormy brown eyes, "where to?" she repeated more urgently when Alec didn't answer.

"I-uh…" Alec stuttered, not sure where Jace Wayland lived exactly, "the 'Arranged' party?"

"Gotcha," the blonde girl muttered, turning the wheel, "Jessamine, by the way."

"Alec."

And suddenly the car was wildly speeding forward. With a wild lurch it hopped off the pavement and into the air. Alec screeched,

"Shush blue eyes," Jessamine called from the front, "buckle up, it's gonna be a wild ride," she added grinning at him in the review mirror. The car continued to rise above the buildings, swinging from side to side. Alec clutched to the seat in front of him, his knuckles white. Jessamine fiddled with the radio station and put on some Mozart. She rolled down the window and a cold wind filled the inside of the car, cooling Alec's face. He took a deep breath and settled back against the seats, relaxing and deciding to trust this weird girl. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the music, ignoring the unsteady car until the movements went away. This was clearly magic. That or Alec was crazy. Yup, definitely crazy. He sighed and decided to just go with it. After all what was the worst thing that could happen. He could wake up in his bed at home, or in a mental ward. He didn't really care at this point. He let the movements of the car lull him into bliss, half between sleep and half between reality.

"Oi sweet cheeks!" Jessamine called, waking him up, "prepare yourself, we're gonna land."

"We're here?" Alec asked, alert, and suddenly nervous.

"Yup. Wayland manor straight ahead," Jessamine confirmed, pressing a few buttons on the control, "Okay hold on."

So Alec did, clutching the seat in front of him desperately, squeezing his eyes closed. There was an impact with the ground like when the airplane lands, and then the car swayed a bit, before slowing down to a normal speed. Alec opened his eyes to see fancy mansions speeding past him. He sighed, relaxed and leaned back, as the car came around a corner, revealing the Wayland manor, lit by thousands of lights. There were cars parked everywhere and reporters and camera crews swarmed the place. Fancy guests came out of limousines and expensive cars, and made their way inside. Alec's hands felt clammy,

"I can't do this," he muttered. Jessamine pulled into an empty spot and turned around to glare at him,

"Yes you can," she stated firmly, "you can and you will. Listen, we don't always get what we want but if you ever want to get out of the Morgenstern's house and have an actual life, you must take any chance you can get. And sorry to break it to you, but this _is_ all you get. This one party can make the biggest difference in your life, or it can be meaningless. I can drive you back home and you can do your chores and bury your dreams and go to sleep. Or you can get out of this goddamned car and find who you're looking for and get out of that hellhole forever. You have a choice in this, many of us don't. I'm stuck driving this fucking car until I actually make a difference to someone's life, you could your ticket out as much as mine. So don't screw this up, Alexander."

Alec's heart gave a painful thud in his chest when Jessamine said his full name, but he decided he was okay with her saying it.

"Okay," he said, grabbing the invitation. Jessamine smiled softly,

"That's my boy, now get out of here, I'll be waiting when you get back."

"Thanks, Jessie," Alec said, grinning, and he climbed out of the car, slamming the door, Immediately the car sped away, around the corner and out of eye sight. Alec sighed, gathered his courage and turned towards the manor. He was terrified what people would think of him, that he would be found out. But Jessamine's words rang in his head and he refused to back down. So he made his way down a carpet meant for the guests, ducking his head away from the flashing lights of reporters cameras. Ignoring the shouts and pleads for interviews. He followed the couple in front of him, trying to not stand out. Apparently it worked because he got to the bodyguard standing in front of the entrance without an incident.

"Invitation please, sit," the man said curtly, his expression unreadable. Alec's hand shook as he passed the man the envelope. The guard glanced down at it and then gestured at the entrance, "welcome sir, this way please."

Alec muttered a quick 'thanks' before ducking under the guards arm. He was embraced by warmth as soon as he entered the hall. Some man asked for his coat but Alec didn't have one so he ignored him. There weren't many people here, most of them were newcomers, making their way towards the main hall. Alec nervously wrung his hands together and followed where most of people were going. He passed a staircase that was guarded at the top, and saw a girl sitting on one of the lower steps, her face in her hands. Alec felt a pang in his chest and promptly changed direction, heading towards the girl. He plopped down next to her and she looked up. He expected her to be crying, but she just looked plain miserable.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she answered. Alec studied her. She had curly ginger hair and green, lifeless eyes. There were freckles scattered across her pale skin and her long, green dress matched her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, crossing his legs. The girls sighed,

"Why do you care?"

"Oh jeez, sorry, maybe because you're sitting in the middle of the staircase at some rich ass party?" he said sarcastically, "I was just trying to be nice, sorry." He made a move to stand up, but the girl grabbed his sleeve,

"Sorry," she muttered, giving him a small smile, "I thought you'd hit on me."

"Confident much," Alec sat back down, rolling his eyes, "but now I, um, swing the other way."

"Oh," the girl laughed softly, "Clarissa Fray. Just Clary, actually," she stuck her hand out at him. Alec shook it, giving the girl a smile,

"Alec Lightwood," he said before he could stop himself. He winced when Clary's eyes went wide.

"You're _Alec Lightwood_?!" she stuttered. Alec sighed,

"Surprise," he muttered sourly. Clary just stared at him, "What?" he snapped.

"Nothing, I just…well, I thought you'd be more…rough," she said hesitantly. Alec blinked at her,

"Wow, thanks," Alec leaned his chin on his hand.

"No I didn't mean it in a rude way!" Clary assured, "You're just not what I expected."

"I never am," Alec said sadly, "So what's wrong? Why are you sitting here?"

"Boy drama," Clary muttered into her knees. The people rolling past gave them dirty looks.

"Tell me about it," Alec huffed. Clary grinned at him, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"Have you ever felt like you grew really close with someone and you thought that, you know, there were feelings between you two. But then suddenly he does something unexpected and makes you doubt everything. Because he never said anything and you're not sure he _cares_ ," Clary sighed in frustration, running a hand through her hair as Alec's mouth ran dry.

"Surprisingly, I actually have felt like that," he whispered, "Okay, so what is this about?" he asked, "You can tell me, I doubt we'll ever meet after tonight anyway."

Clary looked at him, and then shrugged,

"Well okay I guess," she took a deep breath, "basically me and Jace have been friends for a long time…"

"That _Jace_?" Alec's eyes bulged, "as in Jace Wayland?!"

"Yes that Jace," Clary gave him a 'duh' look, "but anyway I thought that we were growing closer you know. We went out all the time, and sneaked out. I stayed with him last summer because I don't live here usually. And well, we went to parties and talked all night and slept in the same bed, but _nothing_ happened…" Clary trailed off, "and I guess I fell in love with him along the way," her voice came out choked, "and, well, now he throws this party, and he's looking for a wife or a husband and how the hell am I meant to compete with everyone here?!" she asked dejectedly, tears gathering in her eyes. Alec's heart softened and he reached out to put an arm around the girls shoulders, knowing that his plan just went to shit. There was no way, no _fucking_ way, that he would try and seduce Jace Wayland to get out of the Morgenstern's house, and break this girls heart. She loved that boy and Alec was not about to go and destroy the love. Someone once told him that to love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be destroyed. And he wouldn't help with the destroying.

"C'mon," Alec said, getting to his feet suddenly and sticking a hand out to Clary. The girl looked at him, puzzled, "Just come on," Alec repeated. The ginger sighed and let Alec pull her to her feet. The walked down the stairs and followed the crowd into ballroom,

" _Alec_ ," Clary hissed, "C'mon I don't want to do this!"

"Just trust me. Maybe this Jace boy really does care," Alec muttered more to himself than to Clary. The ballroom was bigger and grander than the one at Morgenstern manor. The windows were decorated in Christmas lights, and there was mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. Two large Christmas trees stood in two corners of the room, and there were long tables filled with Christmas foods by the sides. Couples were up on the dancefloor, twirling to the tasteful music.

"It's a Christmas party," Alec stated dryly, "should've known."

"Does this change anything?" Clary asked. Alec just grinned,

"Nope, except the fact that you match the decorations!"

Clary whacked him playfully on the arm, and Alec just rolled his eyes and tugged her towards the crowd,

"Do you know how to dance?" she asked, carefully putting her arms around Alec's shoulders.

"Actually I was hoping you knew," Alec said sheepishly.

"You're in luck my friend," Clary said happily, moving Alec's hand to her waist. They kind of blended in with the couples but Alec has never danced with a girl, especially a short one, and he accidently stepped on Clary's foot. Instead of getting offended the ginger giggled and stepped on his foot back. Alec glared at her jokingly, and she stuck her tounge out at him. In retaliation he spun her without a warning. Clary yelped but Alec's quick reflexes helped when he caught her.

"Idiot," she said when he pulled her upright, "enough dancing for you!" she said and pulled him of the dancefloor. They ended up sitting by one of the walls, eating little party sandwiches,

"Do you even know anyone here?" Clary asked with her mouthful. Alec nodded and scanned the crowd,

"Oh! That's Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss," Alec pointed his chin to the spinning couple, "And obviously Sebastian," he rolled his eyes when he spotted his step brother, "and, um…M-Magnus…and…oh! That's Izzy over there! Oi IZZY!" he called, waving an arm at his friend. The girls eyes lit up when she spotted him and she all but ran towards him.

"Alec!" she squealed, pulling him into a hug, "what are you doing here?! I thought…I thought, oh my God, nice suit…where…what?!" she asked breathless, smiling from ear to ear, "actually don't tell me. Probably magic. This party's a bore, who's your little friend?"

"Clary," the ginger introduced herself,

"Isabelle, call me Izzy," Izzy nodded at her, "so anyway Alec how did you get here?"

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later. Just remind me to leave at midnight," Alec said. Isabelle nodded,

"So what are you two up to?" she asked.

"We're trying to get Jace to notice Clary because they're basically in the same situation that me and Magnus are in, except she actually has a chance."

"Hey, that was a secret!" Clary smacked his arm, "and oooh, so Magnus is the one you told me about, ey?" she wiggled her eyebrows at him. Alec flushed,

"W-what, n-no…this…this isn't about us, it's about you and Jace!" Alec gushed as the two girls giggled.

"Whatever you say, Alec," Izzy teased, "anyway I like this whole love plot thingy so I'm going to volunteer as tribute to help you."

"Oh my God! I love the hunger games!" Clary exclaimed, "team Gale all the way!"

Isabelle high fived her and Alec rolled his eyes,

"Let's concentrate here," Alec snapped his fingers in front of their faces, "we need to get Jace jealous. Speaking of, where is he?" the boy peered at the crowd,

"There the one with the blonde hair," Clary flushed and pointed her chin at a boy who was in the corner, speaking with his father, Stephan.

"Um, I know how this can work!" Izzy raised her hand like she was in a class,

"Yes?" Alec asked while Clary looked at them sceptically.

"You see how Jace and Sebastian always liked the same girls?" Izzy asked. Alec's eyes narrowed at the mention of his step brother, but he nodded, "well if I'm right than Jace really does care and that means so does Sebastian," there was an evil glint in Izzy's dark eyes. She then proceeded to laugh. Loudly and manically. A few heads turned, and so did his step brothers, who made his way towards them, wait! WHAT?! Alec quickly linked arms with Izzy,

"We'll be close by, I can't let him see me!" he hissed at Clary before dragging Izzy away. They hid in an alcove where they had a good view of the two and could hear what they were saying. Sebastian sauntered towards the ginger girl, a lazy but charming smile in place,

"Hello," he said. Clary glanced at where Izzy and Alec were hiding before putting on her own fake smile,

"Hi," she said sweetly. Sebastian stood way too close for comfort, and he placed an arm on the side of Clary's face, trapping her in. Alec hurriedly scanned the crowd and he felt like whooping when he saw Jace's head snap up. He swore he saw the blonde's eyes narrow at the sight of Clary with Sebastian, and he began to push his way through the dancing masses.

"So what's a pretty girl like you doing here all by herself, eh?" Sebastian asked slyly. Clary fidgeted uncomfortably,

"I, um, I just…" she trailed of and Sebastian smiled creepily.

"You're at loss of words I see," he said, moving closer, "well no worries, we don't have to talk…"

Clary sent a panicked look towards Izzy and Alec and the boy had to hold back his friend to stop her from charging to Clary's rescue, because right then Jace appeared at Sebastian's shoulder, and roughly pulled the blonde away from Clary.

"Back of Morgenstern," he growled. Sebastian looked startled for a second and then his face relaxed into a smirk,

"Oh? Wayland to the rescue," he gritted, "well, don't just assume this lady doesn't appreciate my company."

"I don't appreciate your company," Clary stated bluntly.

"Exactly, so fuck off," Jace added sweetly. Sebastian's expression darkened and he was about to open his mouth to say something, but Magnus appeared out of nowhere.

"Sorry, is my brother bothering you?" he asked calmly, but with a threatening undertone. Clary quickly glanced at Alec and that did it. Magnus followed his gaze and his eyes locked with Alec's. His surprise was quickly replaced with calm. He smiled politely at Clary and Jace,

"Sebastian fuck off," he told his brother. Sebastian ripped his shoulder away from Magnus' hands, huffed a 'whatever' and walked off.

"Clary let's dance," Jace blurted. Clary blinked at him and then blushed cutely,

"Okay," she shrugged and let Jace pull her away. She turned quickly and Isabelle gave her a thumbs up sign. However Alec was too busy concentrating on Magnus, who was determinedly walking towards them.

"Izzy, Iz, we have to go," he breathed, tugging on his friends hand. Isabelle looked up,

"Shit!" she hissed, but it was too late, Magnus was already standing in front of them, "I-um, I'ma go," Isabelle muttered, looked guiltily at Alec, and slipped away. Alec opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came out. Eventually he didn't say anything and just stared at Magnus' chest, because he couldn't bear to look him in the eye.

"Alec," Magnus said softly, "You look…I-"

"Please don't tell Lilith," Alec blurted, red as a tomato.

"I won't," Magnus said resignedly, he gently reached out and cupped Alec's chin, causing the boy's heartbeat to pick up, and their eyes to meet, "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Alec muttered, determined to not break. Magnus sighed and studied the younger boys face,

"Did you come here to try and win Jace over?" he asked after a moment,

"Did you?" Alec retaliated. Magnus looked away but Alec didn't have time to celebrate his victory.

"No," Magnus said, "I made a deal with my mother."

"You did?" Alec raised an eyebrow.

"I told her I'd come to this stupid party, because she knew if I went then Sebastian would go to. She didn't want me to go for Jace, she was more eager on Sebastian doing that. But he wouldn't go without me. So mother said I could, erm, take something important to me with me when I moved…"

"You're moving?!" Alec asked, eyes wide,

"Yes," Magnus nodded, "I'm cutting the family off."

"And Lilith is okay with this?" Alec asked, unbelieving.

"She has no choice," Magnus shrugged, "I'm an adult. But anyway I had to agree to this deal otherwise…"

He didn't get to finish because at the same time the music quietened down, and all the lights concentrated on the stage. Jace was standing up there, looking happier than ever.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you so much for coming to this ball tonight. I would like to thank all the people from 'Arranged' as they, well, _arranged_ this whole thing," a chuckle broke through the crowd, "but unfortunately the party is over, as I have chosen my bride."

Yells and applause exploded through the crowd and Jace grinned, quietening them down with his hand.

"Without further ado, I present my beautiful fiancée, Clarissa Fairchild!"

The crowd was cheering so loud Alec thought he might've gone deaf, but he didn't mind because he was jumping and screaming alongside them. Clary came onstage, blushing and looking dazzling in her dress. Jace pulled her in for a kiss and the crowd wolf whistled. That was approximately when Isabelle appeared next to Alec, looking frantic,

"Alec!" she breathed hard, "It's eleven forty five! You need to go!"

"Oh shit!" Alec's mouth ran dry, "oh shit, shit _, shit_!"

He ducked around Magnus, who looked confused,

"Alec?! Where are you going?!" he called,

"To the house!" Alec called back, sprinting outside. There were camera's rolling and crowds calling but Alec didn't hear any of that, instead leaping down the steps, taking two at a time. He had to get to the car and get home before the Morgensterns. They couldn't find out where he went! He nearly tripped on his laces, somehow managing to kick one converse off in the process, but he didn't really care at that point.

He spotted Jessamine's car and relief flooded him. The door opened for him and he hurled inside like a hurricane,

"Drive! Drive! Drive!" he yelled, and Jessamine didn't say anything, just pressed the gas pedal. They soared above Idris, the moon illuminating it and making it look more beautiful than ever and Alec's legs were shaking and he was fidgeting and his heart was beating too fast and _it was taking too damn long_.

"Can't you go any faster?!" Alec snapped, running a hand through his hair.

"Put your fucking attitude away, I'm trying, not my fault you were late," Jessamine gritted. Alec put his head in between his knees, feeling a panic attack coming on. If his step parents found out he was gone there would be no way they'd let him go away to college. No fucking way! He couldn't bear to spare any more time in that horrid house. He felt a sob rip through his chest,

"Alexander I'm trying, I'm really trying," Jessamine said desperately, taking a wild turn. That's when the engine began spluttering, "Oh no, oh hell no!"

"What? What is it?!" Alec asked, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest.

"I'm so sorry Alec!" Jessamine said as the car lurched and they started to lose altitude, "it's almost midnight, our magic stops then, and so does this car!" she swerved to avoid a lamp and Alec felt sick. The engine spluttered one last time and died, the car landing on some dark road, shuddering. Alec was suddenly rolling, the world spinning around him. He closed his eyes as colour burst behind his eyelids. He finally came to a stop on the cold, hard pavement. He automatically turned to the side and threw up everything he ate at the party. Groaning he sat up, clutching his stomach and trying to figure out what happened.

Jessamine and the car were both gone. His suit somehow changed back into a hoodie and ripped jeans. Now Alec definitely knew he was crazy, or drunk. Yeah, he got drunk on Valentine's liquor and he stumbled out here and…

Where the hell was his other shoe?!

Alec shakily got to his feet, his stomach doing a flip. He felt the wet floor touch his foot, immediately cooling his body. Alec shivered and felt his heart drop to his stomach. He was lost and cold and most probably crazy, and there was no way he was getting home in time. The boy plopped down against the closest wall and buried his head in his hands, letting himself cry. The sobs wrecked his chest and hot tears streamed down his pale cheeks and his entire form shook because Jessamine had been wrong. He hadn't changed anything, he'd be stuck with the Morgenstern's for the next thousands of years and she'd be stuck in that car for the next thousands of years. The difference was that she was the one with the choice now. She could fix a life today or tomorrow or next year and she could move on. And Alec would never ever move on, he'd be stuck in that goddamned house with that goddamned family for the rest of his life, because they were the Morgenstern's and he was just Alec, just plain Alec, and one word from them and he could end up in prison or in a mental institution because they were the fucking Morgensterns.

"Come on, get up."

Alec blinked his tears away and looked up. Three figures stood over him, all blonde.

"You guys," Alec sobbed. Woolsey sighed and offered the boy a hand. Alec was quickly pulled to his feet and Jessamine wiped his tears,

"C'mon enough of that now," Camille snapped, but there was little bite in it.

"Why are you here?" Alec asked, tugging his hoodie around himself.

"We don't have any magic after midnight but we do have a conscience," Jessamine said with a soft smile. Alec realised that she was dressed in black trousers and a button up white shirt, complete with a top hat.

"Let's get you home shall we?" Woolsey asked, linking his arm through Alec's. Jessamine linked the other arm and Camille rolled her eyes,

"Right this way, let's do this quick, I can't stand anymore of this bff vibe coming off you three," she said, walking quickly in her killer heels. Alec let himself relax as he, Jessie and Woolsey followed.

About an hour of arguing, laughing and joking later Alec found himself on a familiar street.

"Time to go," Jessamine said softly, letting him go. Woolsey followed suit and the three stood in a line,

"Thanks guys," Alec said, though his chest tightened painfully, "for everything. Tonight might've not changed anything but I'm still glad it happened."

"Oh Alec," Jessie whispered,

"It did change something," Woolsey grinned,

"Actually it changed so much more than you could imagine," Camille finished. And just like that they were gone.

Alec stayed where he was, staring at where the trio just disappeared, before sighing softly to himself and trudging back home.

Nobody was waiting for him that night, so Alec crawled upstairs and slept like a dead man in his tiny room in the loft, letting go of all his hate and bitterness and concentrating on all the good feelings and moments of the night. Maybe the weird trio was right, maybe he did make a difference. Clary and Jace were together now, but it would've happened sooner or later. Still, he was happy he got to meet the ginger beforehand.

Alec fell asleep with a smile on his face.

He assumed he was screwed anyway, so he let himself sleep in. He took a quick shower in the freezing water and pulled on his Pierce the Veil hoodie. When he eventually did go downstairs the whole family was present.

Lilith was sitting on the sofa in her nightgown, with Sebastian sitting next to her, looking more grumpy and pissed off than usual. Valentine was standing behind them, looking emotionless as usual.

Magnus?

Magnus was in a t-shirt and jeans and a coat and a scarf and there was a suitcase by his feet.

 _He's leaving._

Alec felt choked up all of a sudden, but he swallowed it down.

Finally Lilith opened her mouth,

"You are all over the news, apparently you made quite the exit from last night's ball," the woman bared her teeth, "Yes, you're all over the news and so is that stupid ginger girl…"

"Clary," Alec stated.

"What?" Lilith snapped, annoyed.

"Her name is Clary," Alec gritted through his teeth, "Now give me my punishment."

At least Jessamine might feel better knowing that even if he got home in time, he'd still be found out because of the news. Hell, he felt better knowing it wasn't all a dream or something he imagined. It had all been real, Camille and Ragnor and the suit, the weird car and Jessamine in her top hat, the ball and Clary, Jace and Magnus and the curfew, him losing his shoe and his new friends walking him home. It's been real.

"You are free to go."

Alec's thought track was cut short.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

"You are free to go," Lilith snapped angrily, "don't make me repeat myself again."

Alec mind was reeling with completely unrelated things. Like what was with the floral pattern on the coach. Why does Sebastian's parting go left? There's a stain on the carpet. Valentine has bags under his eyes. It's probably cold outside.

He thought of anything, _anything_ than what Lilith actually meant.

Because he had enough fucking disappointments in his life already.

Lilith sighed frustrated,

"You really are stupid aren't you," Sebastian hissed, "my brother dearest is leaving. The only reason he went to the ball yesterday was so he could move out and take you with him. So there you go, you two can go be happy together," he said bitterly, glaring at the two. Alec opened his mouth and tried to form words, looking from the Morgensterns to Magnus, and back again.

"Oh my fucking God," he said finally. Lilith's eye twitched,

"Get out."

So Alec did, he grabbed Magnus' hand and pulled him down the corridor and out of the door.

"Wait!" the taller boy called, "Don't you want to bring anything?!"

"Nope!" Alec said breathlessly, popping the p. When they were outside Alec realised he didn't have shoes on _but he really didn't bloody care_. He turned around facing Magnus, who looked as dumbstruck as he was.

"Why me?" Alec asked, awaiting the answer like a death sentence. Magnus stared at him and Alec could swear his heart was gonna rip through his chest and run away.

"Because it's you," Magnus said softly, tracing the outline of Alec's face with his knuckles.

And suddenly they were kissing like they were meant to have been, and Magnus' arms wound themselves around his waist and he tugged him closer, and Alec didn't care than anyone from his ex-family could walk out now and see them. He really didn't care.

So they just kissed, softly and slowly, with Magnus' thumb stroking the small of Alec's back and Alec's hands woven themselves in Magnus' hair and it was absolutely, utterly perfect. Magnus pressed lingering kisses to the other boys jaw and neck, and Alec swore it was the best moment of his life. So far.

And then it started snowing.

And Alec was pretty sure it was his guardian's angel doing.

More like guardian angels.

"C'mon let's get out of here, Alexander," Magnus said, leaning their foreheads together. Alec's heart gave a jolt but it wasn't unpleasant, "can I call you that?"

"You can call me anything," Alec sounded breathless. Magnus smiled and quickly pressed their lips together again,

"Okay, Biscuit." Alec blinked and burst out laughing, "what?"

"Nothing, just something ? called me."

"Knew it had something to do with that lot," Magnus sighed, "Now come on, I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to. Oh yeah, I found your shoe by the way."

And they got in the car and drove far, far away.

 **6 months later**

Alec and Magnus have been living together for half a year now, and it was the best half a year of Alec's life.

They had a small apartment in a complex downtown. The Morgensterns completely cut Magnus off and so he began giving lectures at the local college and earned his own money. He changed his last name to Bane, and Alec began attending night classes at the local university and worked part time at a coffee shop. He was frequently tired but Magnus would just make him tea and tuck him in and kiss him on the forehead and he'd feel better immediately.

They got two cats and names them Church and Chairman Meow. They got along with all of their neighbours. On the left lived a single eighteen year old guy called Simon, who was very close friends with Clary. Coincidence right?

Simon was to be Jace's best man and Isabelle would be Clary's maid of honour, so the two met often, and along the way fell in love, Alec guessed. It wasn't until Alec stumbled out at seven am to collect the milk from outside that he saw Izzy sneaking out of Simon's apartment that he put the pieces together.

On the other side lived a couple, Maia and Jordan. Jordan was a tattoo artist and Maia a celebration planner. Simon convinced her that she should help plan Clary and Jace's wedding, and she agreed.

And then, before anyone knew where the time went, the wedding was on them.

"What do you think?" Isabelle asked for the fourth time, patting down her short, purple dress,

"It looks great Iz, seriously," Alec rolled his eyes,

"Trust me, you look flawless," Magnus added. Isabelle's eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Thanks you two."

Jordan drove them to the ceremony in his tiny Lexus, with Magnus, Isabelle and Simon squeezed in the back, and Alec in Magnus' lap, while the driver and Maia took the comfortable front seats. There were a bunch of reporters outside of the Wayland manor and they tried to interview the group, but they blew them off.

The ceremony was simple, but beautiful. Clary looked flawless in her golden dress and Alec swore he saw Jace's eyes get all watery. He finally met Clary's parents, Jocelyn and Lucian. He danced with Magnus and with Izzy and Clary. He even had a quick dance with Simon and Maya. Catarina was there and she kissed him on the cheek when she saw him, congratulating him on getting together with Magnus.

The party ended late into the night, at which point Alec and Magnus were sitting outside on some grass, stargazing. Magnus' hand found Alec's in the darkness,

"What are you think about?" Magnus asked him sleepily,

"About how I ate way too much," Alec muttered and his boyfriend snickered, pulling the younger boy closer and kissing him on the cheek.

"I love you," he whispered against his temple,

"I love you too." Alec whispered contently, letting his eyes fall shut as Magnus played with his hair.

"Oi losers!" Ragnor called, "There's leftover cake, you guys want some?"

"YES!" Alec jumped up and sprinted back inside, with Magnus following him, smiling. Ragnor smirked at him,

"Someone's happy," the white haired boy stated.

"Yeah," Magnus' smile widened, "Gotta thank someone someday."

"Do you mean…" Ragnor trailed off, his eyebrow raised, "Actually don't tell me. I rather not know what happened in Peru. Just why did they help Alec that night?"

"They owed me," Magnus said smirking, "and Jessamine's a sucker for love. Always been, always will be."

"You think she's still driving that car around?"

"I don't know, but she sure as hell made a difference."

Magnus leaned against the wall next to Ragnor and watched as Clary, Catarina and Alec chased each other round the ballroom, stuffing their faces with cake.

Alec never saw Camille or Jessamine or Woolsey after that day. But he knew they were watching over him and Magnus. Sometimes the door to his car would open without him touching it and the radio station would switch to Mozart. He got dreams in which he was flying over Idris, or see someone in the crowd wearing a top hat. His wrapping paper was mysteriously replaced with brown one, identical to the one his suit was wrapped up in. But most of all, one shoe from a pair would disappeared without a trace, only for Alec or Magnus to find it on the coffee table in Simon's apartment or on the stairs.

 _Alexander Gideon Lightwood could say that the first ten years of his life were a bliss, but he'd be lying. The last six years of his life were a mess, but the years that came after – they were the real bliss._

 _Alexander Lightwood and Magnus Bane? Oh no, they're not part of the Morgenstern family. They couldn't possibly be. Live in a scruffy apartment, work part time jobs. No, surely it can't be. Nobody could control boys like that, even the Morgenstern. They're not the Morgensterns._

 _Yeah that's right._

 _Perfect._

 **That was the longest fanfiction I have ever written, Jesus take the wheel. Thanks to my friend John (Sebastian) for helping me stay up at night and finish this.**

 **Hope you guys like it.**

 **Please review.**

 **~Fly on**


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